News from Seattle's Office of Economic Development

“A report published last year by the Washington State Auditor suggested that schools and parents are steering most kids toward bachelor’s degrees, without exploring other opportunities that cost less, result in more pay, and, at least in some cases, may be a better fit.”

The Seattle Colleges—our biggest partner in job training—was recently featured in the Northwest Asian Weekly for their range of job training programs. Our team works with the Seattle Colleges and other organizations to connect local students and workers with in-demand, fulfilling, living-wage careers—four-year degree not required. We support programs that include in-demand occupational skills, with the shortest path to the highest pay. Our goal is to make sure businesses get the talent they need by building that talent right here in Seattle.

The programs in this article include students that OED supports through our training partnerships with the Seattle-King County Workforce Development Council and Seattle Jobs Initiative, providing training resources and wrap-around support (including housing, transportation, childcare, etc.) to help students without these means be part of our local talent pipeline.

OED also supports the Seattle Colleges’ Center for Working Adults (CWA), which coordinates capacity for education and training for workers across all three colleges. Any prospective student who is already working, or any employer looking to provide training options for their workers, can start with the CWA to navigate their best options across the Seattle Colleges.